In published patent application WO 03/017902, an absorbent article, such as a diaper, is disclosed, in which a front region, a crotch region and a rear region may be attached to a wearer by means of belt members and fasteners. In particular, two belt members, each one projecting laterally outwardly from the rear region of the article, may be joined to each other about the waist of a wearer. Fasteners provided on an inside surface of the front region then ensure that the front region may be secured to the belt, to thereby generate a pant-like garment about the wearer. Another example of a belt-type absorbent product is described in US patent application publication US2002/0193776, in which a belt is provided having a first and a second portion, each of which may be restrained on an inside surface of the article in a retracted position by releasable attachment means.
A further absorbent article is described in document WO 95/19753. According to this document, a diaper type garment is provided with belt members projecting laterally from the rear panel of the garment, each belt member having attachment means at its distal end for connection of a respective belt member about the waist of a wearer, to either the other belt member, or to corresponding attachment portions provided on an outer surface of the front panel of the garment. In this way, the garment may be configured for use in either a slip-type configuration, (sometimes known as a brief-type configuration), in which the distal end of each belt member is drawn part-way about the waist of a wearer and attached to a corresponding portion of the front panel, or in a belt-type configuration, in which the respective ends of the belts are connected together about the waist of a wearer, with the front panel being subsequently secured to the belt by means of fasteners at its lateral edges. As can readily be seen from WO 95/19753 however, a discrepancy arises in the sizing of the garment, when it is worn in one or the other configuration. Specifically, owing to the bridging effect of the front panel between the respective ends of the belt, in the slip-type configuration of the garment, the slip-type configuration generates a larger waist circumference than the belt-type configuration of the same article. A poor fit of the article ensues, unless multiple sizes are stored for a single user, in case of use in one or other configuration. In addition, the lateral edges of the front panel may be unrestrained in the slip-type configuration of the product, which may invite instability of the lateral portions of the front panel and consequent leakage, especially in case of an active wearer.
Also known in the art are diapers which may be provided in a so-called slip-type configuration only, in which, as mentioned, side panels of the article are attached to each other about the waist of a wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,854 discloses a closure means for an absorbent article which may be provided either on a slip-type garment or on a belt-type garment.
A further absorbent article is known from EP-A-1110529, which is described as comprising a belt attached to a rear panel of the article. The belt is restrained in a storage position by means of releasable attachments, and may be deployed for use by releasing the respective releasable attachments. In use, the two free belt portions, projecting either side of the rear panel, may be joined together enclosing the waist of a wearer and also enclosing the front panel of the article, on which fastener means are applied. Alternatively, the article may be worn in a slip-type configuration, by connecting the belt ends to the outer surface of the front panel. Since, in both cases, the belts must be fastened when in a fully extended condition of the belts, there exists a sizing discrepancy between the belt-type and the slip-type configuration, because of the bridging effect of the front panel. EP-A-0528282 discloses a diaper type article having belt portions projecting from each lateral side of a rear panel. The article is intended to be worn in a belt-type configuration, by joining the belt portions about the waist of a wearer and bringing the front panel into position by means of fasteners on the lateral edges of the front panel which are secured against portions of the belt around the external side of the rear panel of the article. The front and rear panels are generously proportioned in their lateral dimensions and overlap each other substantially when the article is worn. In some cases, the front panel may be fastened against the rear panel without first fastening the belt portions to each other. In such a case the belt portions would lie on the inside of the rear panel causing discomfort and a poor fit.
WO 01/21120 discloses an absorbent article which has a crotch portion between a front and a rear panel. The rear portion, at its lateral side regions, is provided with laterally projecting attachment flaps which may respectively be fastened to side regions of the front panel in order to configure the article in a slip-type configuration for wear. The flaps are formed as belt portions of a continuous belt which is attached to the internal surface of the rear panel and which comprises folds, for allowing a certain extensibility of the belt length within the rear panel against an elastic bias. The garment described can be worn only in a slip-type configuration.
The design feature in the art, according to which absorbent articles may be worn in either a belt-type or a slip-type configuration, has been developed in order to accommodate different end-user requirements and preferences. Nevertheless, in each of the known articles of this type, a size discrepancy exists between the two configurations of the product. Such a size discrepancy may conceivably be compensated for by the use of elastics, although in such a case, the product will tend to be tighter in the belt-type configuration, thereby causing discomfort to a wearer.
Many users of absorbent articles may have limited physical strength and limited dexterity. Configuration and application of such articles can be problematic in terms of the force requirements needed to configure the article, and also the directions in which respective forces are to be applied. In addition, the limb movement of a wearer or user, when applying a force (e.g. opening or closing the garment), need to be taken into account when designing absorbent articles, because certain limb actions are more difficult to perform than others, when applying a force.
There is a need for an absorbent article of the above-mentioned type, which may be configured in a flexible manner, which does not cause discomfort, and wherein the sizing is substantially the same, irrespective of the manner in which the article is configured. There is furthermore a need to provide additional constructional flexibility of absorbent articles, while maintaining material costs at a minimum level. There is furthermore a need to provide an absorbent article which allows easier configuration for use by users. Users of the articles include wearers of the articles and also carers for those who wear the absorbent articles.
In addition, there is a need to keep material usage of such articles to a minimum, for reasons of cost, and in order to reduce the bulkiness of the articles on a wearer. Furthermore, there can be an advantage from reducing the surface area of a wearer which is covered by the article, because prolonged contact between such articles and the skin of a wearer may in some cases cause irritation and discomfort. In devising such articles, care needs to be taken to ensure that the article construction takes into account the needs for comfort and good fit on a wearer.